History: WORLD PREMIÈRE: Traverse Theatre, January 25, 1995
EDINBURGH FRINGES 1994, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014
ADELAIDE FESTIVALS: 2007, 2009, 2013
TOURS: Domestic and Worldwide from 1995 - 2024
ANIMAL FARM - with Guy Masterson
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Theatre Tours International Ltd presents
ANIMAL FARM
Adapted & Performed by Guy Masterson
Directed by Tony Boncza
From the book by George Orwell
CELEBRATING 70 years of its publication and 30 years of performance, Guy Masterson reprises his breathtaking solo performance of Orwell's barnyard masterpiece.
Olivier Award winner, Guy Masterson, veteran of smash hit solo works such as Under Milk Wood, A Christmas Carol and Shylock, reprises his globally acclaimed interpretation of Orwell's classic fable.
Famed for bringing multiple characters to vivid life, Masterson gives us Snowball, Napoleon, Squealer, Boxer, Clover, Mollie, Benjamin, Muriel, Sheep, Dogs, Cows, Hens and of course a cat in a riveting, spellbinding performance that will shock, enchant, bewitch and bewilder and linger long in the memory, ringing out Orwell's prescient warning that politicians through the ages and of all creeds and colours will often let power corrupt them... and sometimes corrupt them absolutely...
"ANIMAL MAGIC! The tale ignites, bringing both humour and sinister aspect to the rhetoric of the upwardly mobile pigs!" (The Herald)
"This brilliant adaptation gets to the heart of Orwell's barnyard classic, maintaining his original textual structure and style in a powerful multi-character performance that makes the book accessible and exciting. Animal Magic!" (The Times)
"A brilliant adaptation which delights with its physical grace and artistry. Complex and entirely theatrical, a combination of bravura acting and poetic storytelling that brings new nuance and meaning" (The Scotsman)
 British Theatre Guide Bristol Post
Adelaide Theatre Guide Bath Chronicle
Adelaide Arts Hub Bath Magazine
FringeReview Kansas City Star
The Fix Adelaide Adelaide Independent
RipItUp Adelaide The Fix Adelaide
The Heckler Adelaide Australian Theatre Online
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ANIMAL FARM - with Sam Blythe
PLAYING ADELAIDE FRINGE MARCH 2025
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Theatre Tours International Ltd presents
ANIMAL FARM
Performed by Sam Blythe
Adapted & Directed by Guy Masterson
(with original direction by Tony Boncza)
From the book by George Orwell
CELEBRATING 70 years of its publication and 30 since its first performance, Guy Masterson's globally renowned solo adaptation of Orwell's barnyard masterpiece is performed by the brilliant Sam Blythe.
Bringing all of Orwell's multiple characters to vivid life, Blythe gives us Snowball, Napoleon, Squealer, Boxer, Clover, Mollie, Benjamin, Muriel, the Sheep, Dogs, Cows, Hens - and, of course, the cat - in a spellbinding performance that will shock, enchant, bewitch and bewilder, and linger long in the memory, ringing out Orwell's prescient warning that politicians through the ages, and of all creeds and colours will often let power corrupt them... and sometimes corrupt them absolutely...
"ANIMAL MAGIC! The tale ignites, bringing both humour and sinister aspect to the rhetoric of the upwardly mobile pigs!" (The Herald)
"This brilliant adaptation gets to the heart of Orwell's barnyard classic, maintaining his original textual structure and style in a powerful multi-character performance that makes the book accessible and exciting. Animal Magic!" (The Times)
"A brilliant adaptation which delights with its physical grace and artistry. Complex and entirely theatrical, a combination of bravura acting and poetic storytelling that brings new nuance and meaning" (The Scotsman)
British Theatre Guide Bristol Post
Adelaide Theatre Guide Bath Chronicle
Adelaide Arts Hub Bath Magazine
FringeReview Kansas City Star
The Fix Adelaide Adelaide Independent
RipItUp Adelaide The Fix Adelaide
The Heckler Adelaide Australian Theatre Online
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One of the most successful solo shows of all time... Over 2000 performances globally.
Orwell's timeless allegory brought to life in an astonishing, 'has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed' performance!
Touring Availability - Through 2025-26
Guy Masterson's performances are Strictly Limited to 400+ capacity venues
Sam Blythe's performances are available for 100+ capacity venues
Please enquire: theatretoursint@gmail.com
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GUY MASTERSON - Adaptor, Director (of Sam Blythe) & Performer (click for additional biographical material)
After obtaining a Joint Honours degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Cardiff University in 1982, Guy studied drama at UCLA's School of Drama and started as an actor in 1985 in Hollywood. He returned to the UK in 1989 to study further at LAMDA. He is an multi-award winning actor, playwright, director, producer, international presente, dramaturge and renowned acting and executive coach.
Following a conventional start in plays, film and television, Guy began solo performing in 1991 with The Boy's Own Story and thence Under Milk Wood in 1994 and Animal Farm in 1995. He first produced/directed in 1993 with Playing Burton participated at the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time in 1994. The following 28 seasons saw his association with many of Edinburgh's most celebrated hits, and his company became EdFringe's most awarded independent theatre producer - garnering 8 Scotsman Fringe Firsts, 3 Herald Angels, 25 Stage Award nominations (including 4 wins) together with numerous lesser awards. Guy also directed two of Edinburgh's biggest grossing dramatic hits: 12 Angry Men - famously starring a cast of well-known comedians (including Bill Bailey, Dave Johns and Phil Nichol, which then toured Australia and New Zealand - and The Odd Couple (2005) again starring Bill Bailey with Alan Davies. He also originated One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (2004) starring Christian Slater and Mackenzie Crook which transferred to teh Gielgud Theatre in London's West End and later The Garrick Theatre.
His 2009 production, Morecambe, transferred to The Duchess Theatre in the West End and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment (plus another nomination for the actor playing Eric).
At Edinburgh 2014 his epic 30 actor adaptation of Animal Farm produced by Tumanishvili Film Actors Theatre of Tbilisi, (Georgia), won the Stage Award for Best Ensemble. Most notably, his 2019 hit, The Shark Is Broken opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End in October 2022 for 18 weeks and was Olivier Award nominated for Best New Comedy. It since played 7 weeks at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto and 18 weeks at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway from August 2023. It will be touring the UK from January 2025.
In 2023, he directed Picasso: Le Monstre Sacré at the Playground Theatre in London, and co-directed the award winning The Marvellous Elephant Man - The Musical at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Fringe Festival. Most recently, his acclaimed 2018 production of The Marilyn Conspiracy which opened at Assembly Festival in 2018 (and was due to transfer to London in June 2020 but postponed by Covid19), finally played at The Park Theatre.
As a performer, Guy won The Stage Best Actor Award in 2001 for Fern Hill & Other Dylan Thomas, and was aslo nominated in 1998 for A Soldier's Song, in 2003 for Best Solo Performance for Under Milk Wood, and again in 2011 for Shylock. In 2003, he also received Edinburgh's most prestigious accolade, The Jack Tinker Spirit of the Fringe Award. His most recent solo work, A Christmas Carol, has sold nearly every ticket over 6 festive seasons since it opened in 2017. It has also played Off Broadway's Soho Playhouse, Yale University, The Met, Kansas City, in Bethlehem USA, as well as Milan, Italy.
His theatrical commitments have largely kept him out of mainstream film and television, however, he made the obligatory appearance on Casualty (Christmas Special 2004) and has been the Franziskaner Monch - the face of the premium German Weissbier - since 2007! He also writes plays, screenplays and poetry, is an executive performance and confidence coach. His passion is to bring great new ideas to life and fresh talent to the stage.
He is married to Brigitta and father to Indigo and Tallulah...
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SAM BLYTHE - Performer
Sam graduated in 2012 from Arts Ed, and has since worked on stage, screen and voice.
Notable theatre credits include: Charles Dickens in The Great Christmas Feast (The Lost Estate); Alfie Solomons in the award-winning Peaky Blinders: The Rise (Immersive Everywhere); ?The Doctor in Doctor Who: Time Fracture (Immersive Everywhere).
He has also been a prominent member of renowned immersive theatre company Secret Cinema, performing in productions such as Stranger Things, Casino Royale, Dr. Strangelove, Victoria, 28 Days
Animal Farm marks Sam's second solo work, the first being Method In My Madness, - a one man Hamlet - which premiered at EdFringe 2024.
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TONY BONCZA - Original Director
Trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama.
Theatre credits include: Coriolanus, RSC; Great Britain - Royal National Theatre; The Mousetrap (60th Anniversary international Tour). BBC Director General - Yes, Prime Minister, (Trafalgar Studios West End & National Tour); Four Nights in Knaresborough (Southwark Playhouse); The Critic (Minerva, Chichester Festival Theatre); 1800 Acres (Riverside Studios); Shakespeare in the Garden (Japan); Victor in The Price (Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich); Tom in The Norman Conquests (Birmingham Rep); Charlie in Death of a Salesman (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh); Musik (Plymouth Theatre Royal); Indian Ink, A Woman of No Importance, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jamaica Inn, Barbarians, Donkeys' Years, Macbeth, A Winter's Tale, Lady Windermere's Fan, Just Between Ourselves, Racing Demon, The Cherry Orchard, The Merchant of Venice, The Rover, The Banished Cavaliers, The Norman Conquests and The Crucible (Salisbury Playhouse); The House of Correction (Guy Masterson Productions/The Pleasance)
Revue and cabaret includes: Boncza and Lumley: Back by Public Demand, Crackers Deluxe, More Crackers and Christmas Crackers (Salberg Studio, Salisbury Playhouse); Bars on Broadway (Nuffield Theatre, Southampton); The Pindar of Wakefield (Grays Inn Road, London).
Television includes: The Sarah Jane Adventures, Doctors, Londoners (Polish TV), Hotel Babylon, EastEnders, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, The Vet, Ties of Blood, Squadron, Coronation Street, Jackanory Playhouse, Strangers, Morecambe and Wise's Night Train to Murder, Eric Sykes's If You Go Into the Woods Today, For Maddie With Love, Dick Turpin.
Films include: Chariots of Fire, Empire of the Sun.
Directing credits include: Animal Farm, A Soldier's Song and Under Milk Wood (National and International tours for Guy Masterson/TTI and British Council); Bella Bella Donatella (Salisbury Umbrella/ Salisbury Playhouse); and has also directed a number of corporate and short films.
He also co-wroteBarton Stacey and the Theft of the Elgin Marbles for BBC radio with the late Roger Leach.
Other shows directed for Theatre Tours International
Other shows performed for Theatre Tours International
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GEORGE ORWELL - Author
George Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair in 1903 in India and educated at Eton College unitl 1917. In 1921 he served in the Imperial Police of Burma which inspired his first novel Burmese Days eventually published in 1935. From 1930, he worked as a schoolteacher, private tutor and bookshop assistant while writing articles and reviews for several publications. His second book (but first to be published) Down And Out In Paris And London was written under his new pseudonym George Orwell in 1933.
Commissioned in 1936 to visit areas of mass unemployment in Lancashire and Yorkshire to write The Road To Wigan Pier - a passionate study of the plight of the jobless, published in 1937, followed by Keep The Aspidistra Flying. In late 1936, Orwell join the Republican POUM militia in the Spanish Civil War where he was seriously wounded by a bullet to the throat.
Orwell returned again to England in 1938, escaping from Spain through the Pyrenees. His next book, Homage To Catalonia, recorded his experiences. In 1939, in Morocco, he wrote Coming Up For Air, - a defence of the individual against big business. During the remainder of World War II he served in the Home Guard and broadcast for the BBC Eastern Service and from 1943 onwards he also worked freelance for The Observer and Manchester Evening News. Finally, he took a post as Literary Editor of The Tribune where he regularly contributed political commentary. The death of his first wife in 1945 coincided with the publishing of Animal Farm which brought him immediate international recognition. His final and equally notorious parable illustrating his dislike of totalitarianism, Nineteen Eighty Four, was published in early 1949. At this time he was taken seriously ill with tuberculosis and, in January 1950, shortly after marrying Sonja Bronwell, he died... Animal Farm & Nineteen Eighty Four have since been translated into over one-hundred languages. Animal Farm remains the highest selling paperback of all time.
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THE PLAY: A FAIRY STORY... as Orwell himself described it, was conceived as a direct commentary on Stalin’s systematic abuse of the 'Ideals of Communism' yet, the allegory itself is rather domestic. The farm and its animals are obviously typically Britis,h and the fable has a distinctively British traditionalism, liberalism and decency in it’s essence... yet its message of betrayed idealism still manages to touch upon the key elements of contemporary affairs and political anxieties all over the World; Just after Animal Farm was published in 1945, post-war Britain elected the Atlee Labour Government with its application of Welfare State legislation and was coming to terms with a new, weaker position in the World. Stalin was slowly being exposed as a ruthless dictator and, through Animal Farm, Orwell, a disillusioned Socialist, was attempting to persuade blinkered British liberals about Stalin’s real nature. In this way the events of his story were specifically arranged to mirror those evident in Stalin’s betrayal of the Soviet people. More importantly, however, the book was designed an indictment of the processes and dangers of totalitarianism and the methods and machinery that a modern state can bring to bear in its pursuit; the double-speak and propaganda, the lies, threats, coercion, corruption and oppression... more modernly known as 'spin', 'sleaze' and 'alternative facts'... as its leaders fight to perpetuate ther terms against the interests of those who they are supposed to serve... So when Animal Farm is taught in schools simply as an allegory on the Russian Revolution - or more generally as “anti-Communist” - it actually goes against what Orwell stood for...He shared a common hope that social democratic revolution would be capable of transforming a society into a “caring sharing nation”. But he worried also that those who should benefit from such revolutions too often end up as the victims. Indeed, he explained: “I meant the moral to be that revolutions only reflect a radical improvement when the masses are alert and know how to chuck out their leaders as soon as the latter have done their job...”
Perhaps the “revolution” that has occurred in the United Kingdom - indeed all over the western world - over the last eighty years has been one of consumerism and entrepreneurial plenty (or just plain greed) at the ultimate expense of those less fortunate or able than others, and perhaps Orwell’s warning to us today is that, even as we are lucky enough to live in relative peace and harmony in a "safe country" we must be even more vigilant to the dangers of the power-seekers and awake to the vacuous promises they make to perpetuate their power.
In the UK, with our adversarial system of government, Owellian 'power-harvesting' as depicted in Animal Farm might not happen in large “Napoleonic” doses, rather, in small, sly spoonfuls, where each is made easier to swallow by the sugary machinations of party politics... sleaze, corruption and alternative facts... It’s ever harder to detect, but the end result could be worse. The electorate's job, therefore, is to be ultra-vigilant... to take note, to challenge, and ultimately, TO VOTE... to ensure that those whom WE CHOOSE to lead us do not forget who they work for... US - the electorate... Not us for them. Guy Masterson
ORIGINAL DIRECTOR’S NOTE:
When Guy and I started working on Animal Farm back in December 1994, apart from deciding on the narrative and dramatic style, it was obvious we were going to have problems with the livestock. Guy had already proved a certain vocal dexterity in his acclaimed solo Under Milk Wood, but how could he possibly do animal impressions for two hours straight and still be taken seriously? Couldn’t Animal Farm be performed by Johnny Morris or Percy Edwards? We thought not.
When creating the performance, we decided to avoid a one-man farmyard, but concentrate Guy’s physical characterisation on the main protagonists; Snowball, Napoleon, Squealer, Benjamin, Boxer and Clover and some smaller cameo roles, but the flocks of sheep, the gaggles of geese, the hens, the lesser horses, dogs and minor porkers would have to fall into a category called “animal effect”.
Because it had become Guy’s style to act everything within his performances - if it’s not there, mime it - it was decided that all the animal noises would be made by his human voice - instead of using recorded animal sounds & BBC effects... In no time at all, complicated orchestrations, combining ducks, geese and dogs could be herd (sorry) in the snug bar at the Two Brewers in Northaw; sheepish arias in the saloon of The Sun; and swinish serenades in the cellar of The Pig and Whistle...
But due to the number of animals involved it became clear Guy would have to farm out some of the work... So, he made a pig of himself, told me to stop horsing around acting the giddy goat, and eventually cowed me into making the animal impressions with him. I was ducked.
Early January 1995, with time running against us, Guy was still finishing the adaptation while he was learning it and the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh had brought the “World Premiere” forward by two weeks...
Together, we descended one snowy morning on an unsuspecting studio in South London. Eggs were broken, planks were snapped, toilets flushed and vocal chords pinged as our menagerie of animal “voices” were sampled, computerised, multi-tracked, mixed, re-mixed, and finally, mastered.
The sound engineer was more used to sex, drugs and rock ’n roll, but after a twenty hour session with Guy and me, bleating, mewing, neighing and oinking, they were half way to the funny farm themselves...
The rest is silage. Tony Boncza
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1995-2024
BATH THEATRE ROYAL - 2024
Bath Chronicle - June 6 2024
“Extraordinary one-man show!” Last week, audiences at the Theatre Royal, Bath were treated to a production of George Orwell’s Animal Farm performed entirely by the masterful Guy Masterson.
Masterson is a regular to Bath, his solo performances are legendary, but Animal Farm must be the most challenging.
It was a sheer marvel to see his award-winning actor perform the main characters in Orwell's great classic with practically no props on stage.
Through use of mime, movement, voice and accent changes, he brought every character to life in a whole new way. After a while you forgot it was one man performing, Masterson slipping into each role seamlessly, giving them shape and uniqueness. It was quite extraordinary and brought all well novel to life for a modern audience.
Using audio tape of political leaders including Margaret Thatcher, Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, this production of Orwell’s classic, adapted and performed by Masterson, directed by Tony Boncza, showed the relevance and universality of the novel, suggesting it is more relevant than ever particularly with a General Election coming up.
But it is Masterson’s energy which is the star of his solo performances, forcing audiences to gaze with wonder and how this extraordinary actor can perform an entire work of art on his own in front of a live audience.
The intimacy between performer and audience was unique. He jumped from an animal character to another, he was the entire farm at times and it was unbelievable to behold, performing Orwell’s celebrated dialogue with the alarming clarity and gusto. The matinee performance on Saturday had the audience transfixed, some regular fans of Masterson's work, others intrigued to see how one man could perform this huge story. They were not disappointed, far from it, some gave a standing ovation at the end.
Using audio recordings of animal sounds for effect, particularly during choruses and at high points, this was pretty much the only aid of this talented actor employed.
It was an exhausting but exhilarating performance on the stage of the Theatre Royal, making you realise the renewed importance of Orwell’s great work for our times. A regular at Bath, he will be returning at Christmas for his equally solo performance of Dickens Christmas Carol . You should go. (Nancy Connolly - 06/06/24)
Bristol Post - June 4 2024
Many an actor has blanched at the thought of launching into one of the great universally known soliloquies in literature, Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” speech or Jqcques’ “All the world’s a stage’ in As You Like It. Imagine, then, when winding that fear of 100 fold in order to face an audience on your own for around two hours in order to tell the story of one of the most popular paperback books ever printed, Animal Farm.
That was the task facing Guy Masterson as actor and adapter, with no scenery, save a box to stand, no change of costume, a boiler suit and a couple of hats, and only a few sound and lighting effects to help the cause.
Undeterred he set about his task with relish determined that George Orwell's warning about the threat of totalitarianism to democracy, written in 1945, and alas still all too relevant today, was given a full airing to a complacent modern society.
In that immediate post-World War II period, Orwell, despite being a committed socialist, saw past Stalin’ comfortable Uncle Joe image. He had already sacrificed millions of his fellow countrymen in order to maintain complete power, and in Animal Farm, Orwell sent a clear message to democratic governments about the dangers such a man and his ambitions presented.
The wonderful ideals contained in the Russian revolutions, and the way in which ambitious individuals then usurped them for personal gain and power, are clearly drawn in Orwell’s novella, which with a few personal tweaks are faithfully adapted by Guy Masterson. The way in which Stalin outmanoeuvred his fellow revolutionaries, making great use of the newly emerging mass-propaganda opportunities to gain absolute power, which in turn corrupted him, is clearly seen in the character of Napoleon Pig, brought frighteningly to life by Masterson, as is his sinister head a propaganda Squealer, you can see how Stalin fooled most of the people most of the time, and painted the benevolent Uncle Joe image in order to obtain aid from the outside world in order to defeat Hitler's Third Reich.
You can draw parallels with many other Russian leaders of the period, shades of Leon Trotsky in the idealistic Snowball, the easily led proletariat represented by the bleating sheep, and those willing to work until they drop for the ideals they fought for represented by the tragic workhorse, Boxer. In this character the millions killed or sent to Siberia when they were no longer useful is plain to see. All these and many more characters come alive through the skills of Guy Masterson, who also by using snippets of speeches made by recent and present politicians, shows their inability to fulfil electoral promises, and underlines the fragility of those who rule the democracies when faced with modern day Joseph Stalins.
It takes a very special skill to maintain an audience’s attention, keeping them interested in the serious messages you want to impart, but with a little cleverly introduced comedy to light affairs, Masterson does this. The majority of the audience left the theatre with parallels of modern life and politics racing through their minds. And with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza still raging, and today's world political leaders, the thought that Orwell’s warnings of 1945 are still all too relevant today. (Gerry Parker 04/06/24)
Fine Times Recorder (02/06/24)
UNLIKE many famous drawing-room socialists of the 1930s and 40s who, even after visiting Russia, turned a blind eye to Joseph Stalin’s excesses and brutality, quite happy to sacrifice the lives of millions of his fellow countrymen in order to maintain his position of absolute power, George Orwell was quite willing to point an accusing finger at the Russian dictator. You would have to be even blinder than those mid 20th century socialists not to recognise Stalin in the character of the President of Animal Farm, Napoleon Pig.
Sadly, nearly 80 years after Orwell sounded his warnings about totalitarianism, there appear to be more dictators in charge of countries than there were in 1945. I wonder what he would make of the present Russian head-of-state Vladimir Putin. One person who is defiantly unafraid to re-ring those warning bells is actor Guy Masterson, who has adapted Orwell’s novella for presentation as a one-person show.
Bare footed, dressed in a boiler suit, with just a couple of hats to help change character and a small box centre stage to change his height, Masterson brings the novella’s full range of characters to life. The megalomaniac Napoleon Pig and his evil side-kick Squealer, (shades of Adolf Hitler’s head of propaganda Joseph Goebbels), over a two-hour period, change from idealistic politicians to rulers corrupted absolutely by absolute power. The bleating Sheep, who like the ill-informed proletariat blindly follow their leader, and the tragic, unquestioning work-horse Boxer, thrown on the scrap heap when his willing strength gives out, are all on view.
Masterson uses recorded snippets of recent and present day politicians, taken out of context to support his view that we have not come far in our political thinking since Animal Farm was written, and as a result are even more vulnerable to a totalitarian regime than we were then.
Whatever your personal views on these matters, you have to admit that, presented powerfully by a master craftsman, they still have a sinister, rather frightening message to convey. You can also argue that, with Masterson’s great command of the vocal aspects of presenting the many characters who inhabit Animal Farm, this distinctive adaptation of Orwell’s classic might have been even more effective as a radio play.
Be that as it may, it takes a courageous and skilled practitioner to attempt to retain the attention of an audience single-handed, with only a handful of sound and lighting effects to help. In Guy Masterson you have an actor who possesses those qualities.
He will be back in Bath at Christmas to demonstrate those skills again with his solo adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.
Bath Magazine 02/06/24
George Orwell’s allegorical farmyard-based tale Animal Farm describes – in ostensibly easy to digest, political satire format – how ruthless tyrants with narcissistic personality disorders will do everything it takes to get what they want, regardless of the impact on the world around them.
Guy Masterson’s one-man production of Animal Farm (a global phenomenon directed by Tony Boncza that has, since its inception in the mid-1990s, has been performed over 2000 times) has taken Orwell’s artistic purpose and breathed new life into it. An actor oft-described as “master of the art of performing classic literary masterpieces”, Masterson is highly-acclaimed for his emotional and physical virtuosity and his ability to bring multiple characters to vivid life in one exhilarating, energetic solo performance – and this production fully endorses his reputation.
Barefoot and dressed in a simple boiler suit, Masterson brings all the characteristics that make a horse a horse, or a pig a pig, or a dog/cat/sheep/goat/hen/goose/etc. to stunningly evocative effective life on stage, as expressive, graceful, funny, fervent or tragic as each scene requires the character to be. Their journey may be bleak, but there’s plenty of humour, personality and lashings of humanity in the mix too, and audience reactions to certain scenes are palpably visceral. Meanwhile, recorded snippets from politicians past and present punctuate the narrative, bringing extra-added contemporary significance to the drama. This is proper storytelling at its affecting, transformative best: immersive, beguiling and flawless in execution… and revitalising a trail that Orwell blazed so many decades ago with exquisite elegance.
The stark reminder of the tactics used by those in power to build and retain their authority is all-too-relevant an admonition today; if ever there was a production that’s totally, utterly prescient right now, it’s this one; it may have, at the time of writing, moved on from Bath to pastures new, but it’s well worth travelling for. (Mellissa Blease - 02/06/24)
WILTON'S MUSIC HALL - LONDON JANUARY 23-27, 2024
ALL THAT DAZZLES 25/01/24
Written in 1945, Animal Farm is probably one of the most regularly studied, watched, and staged pieces of art ever created. Students pick it apart every year in English or Media lessons; heck – even I studied it when I was at school *cough* a number of years ago. George Orwell, writing away at his desk during World War Two surely could not have foreseen that its themes and relevance would be so prominent in society eighty years later, particularly in his own country. Guy Masterson’s infectiously high energy one-man production removes all subtlety from such modern equivalence and leaves the audience in no doubt about its take home message.
First staged in 1995, Masterson’s adaptation, directed ably by Tony Boncza, takes place on a sparse Wilton’s Music Hall stage. An atmospherically lit podium is surrounded by a beautiful ancient façade, exposed wooden planks and an aged, dirty looking backdrop. Shy of finding an actual barn to perform in, it is the perfect setting. Over the course of two hours, the solo performer leaps between the two separate stage levels, impersonating the cast of beasts depicted in the classic tale, bringing to life exceptionally well-crafted personalities and characters. Each has their quirk, their own grotesque physicality, their accent. And each is immediately recognisable, which is down entirely to Masterson; the master storyteller at work.
It is exhausting and mesmerising to watch one man live and breathe a story which usually takes an entire class of English students to consume. Particularly impressive is how charming a performer he is, introducing himself and the show’s context to the audience and interacting with us throughout. If there are few moments on opening night in which his character work couldn’t keep up with his brain and he stumbles over his words; it’s simply because this production is so brilliantly frenetic it’s hard for even the audience to keep up. By his own admission, in his 60s – not that you could tell – Masterson didn’t expect to be performing his version of Animal Farm again. When you pay close attention to his influence on the text and the socio-political context in the UK right now, it’s not hard to understand why he was tempted back in. This Animal Farm gets a modern paintbrush applied to its narrative.
Squealer becomes a more obvious pseudo political spin doctor, akin to Alastair Campbell, Craig Oliver, or Dominic Cummings. A thinly veiled comparison is drawn between the power-hungry self-serving pigs hoarding the harvest, and the current consecutive Conservative governments. Partygate, austerity, the fuel crisis, food banks, fake news and political slogans (“for the many not the few”) are directly integrated into this retelling. Even the illegal Iraq war isn’t safe from reference (“WMCs – weapons of mass castration”). That such references aren’t crowbarred and instead feel natural and obvious conclusions is both a credit to the writer and a reminder of the horror of our politics today.
Masterson’s retelling is witty, amusing, and entertaining. The key elements of the original text are still present. The important characters are accounted for. But here no time is spent attempting to include every single reference, nuance, and scene from Animal Farm of old. It is instantly recognisable and yet subtly refined in a tasteful and wholly appropriate way for a modern audience. Equally intelligently done is the use of sound effects, each crafted and recorded using the human voice, fired off at the perfect moment to layer the atmosphere of the piece and make it feel bigger in stature and impact than it otherwise would. Lighting plays a key role, including one of the best (and most simple) uses of lighting to portray an explosion I think I’ve ever seen.
For those studying Animal Farm in their GCSEs today, or whatever they’re called these days, this production is a must-see. It is an accessible and engaging way to both learn the age-old story of animalism and to analyse its themes and message. To those who think they have seen Animal Farm done in every way possible but have never witnessed on of Masterson’s adaptations many runs over the past thirty years; get yourself down to Wilton’s and grab a ticket for one of the most well-rounded and well executed one-man shows you’re ever likely to watch. (AllThatDazzles.co.uk - Harry Bower -24/01/25)
THE UPCOMING 24/01/24
Almost everyone will have heard of George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, particularly the infamous line, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” It’s a satirical piece that criticises communism, specifically the Russian Revolution in 1917 up to Stalin’s reign. Not everyone who has heard of Animal Farm has read it. This adaptation by Guy Masterson at Wilton’s Music Hall is one he has performed for over 29 years, as he proudly states, and it’s an easy and digestible recount of Orwell’s work. Anyone curious about the plot and events within the book might find this a more concise and entertaining alternative.
After so many years, Masterson has mastered the art of showcasing multiple characters in his one-man show. He has unique and specific voices for every single one of the animals, so the audience always knows who’s talking. Furthermore, his transition from one character to another is seamless. Masterson is also heavily reliant on body language to add personality to each animal – every character has their individual mannerisms and way of interacting with each other. But even without all of that, Masterson in general is so animated and charismatic that it’s easy to invest in his play even in the quieter moments of Animal Farm.
The production makes creative use of sound and lighting to further enhance the storytelling. Audio is used specifically for chants, singing and animal noises screaming on top of each other. There’s something very interesting in how dissonant and unorganised the sounds are – they don’t follow the same rhythm, emphasising the disconnect between the different groups. There are also clips played from real-life politicians making false promises to further underline the government’s hypocrisy. One damning audio played is Boris Johnson and his statement during the early days of Covid-19 in 2020. It’s a testament to Masterson’s effort to keep the show relevant and updated.
Lighting uses angles to incorporate Masterson’s shadow in the staging: by enlarging it to depict the overwhelming figure of Napoleon and to create multiple presences within the stage. In the confession scene where the animals are killed one by one, each of Masterson’s shadows disappears from the backdrop as more and more animals are killed. Then suddenly, darkness takes over, dripping in red, no shadow to be found, only leaving Napoleon standing tall amongst the body of corpses. It’s a visceral sight that drives home the message of Animal Farm as a whole.
Gaslighting, political hypocrisy and the myth of hard work – these are just a few of the themes covered in Animal Farm. Masterson’s retelling and explanation of Orwell’s novel is dark and entertaining. While a one-man adaptation sounds ambitious, Masterson makes something energetic and exuberant, without taking away from the story’s nuances. Hats off to him for a wildly funny and innovative show. (The Upcoming Mae Trumata -24/01/25)
BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE 25/01/24
George Orwell had personal experience in Spain of the lethal nature of the Russian Stalinist regime. It is recorded in Homage to Catalonia, one of his finest books. Not content to leave the matter there, he later wrote the satire Animal Farm about the revolution in Russia in 1917 and its degeneration into the horrors of Stalin.
On Burns' Night in Edinburgh in 1995, Guy Masterson first publicly performed his one-person stage adaptation of the novel. It has since toured the world, at times being modified to accommodate more than one actor.
Guy is no longer doing cartwheels around the stage in this production at Wilton’s Music Hall, but this impressive piece of storytelling still has a remarkable energy.
Wearing grey overalls, he arrives to the stage which is empty but for a single wooden trunk. The only other prop is the bowler hat, which will later emerge to depict the pig's adoption of the old master's privileged lifestyle.
The storyteller takes us through the animal revolution that drives out the alcoholic human farmer Jones, the name of the farm being changed to Animal Farm and the gradual corruption of their achievements by most of the pigs helped by vicious dogs.
Our moral centre of events is spoken by Boxer, the hard-working horse, and Clover, the gentle mare. Among the other characters to appear are Mollie, the vain pony, and the seemingly mindless sheep who are forever repeating the words given to them by one of the pigs. Guy Masterson evokes their irritating mass conformity by flapping his hands on either side of his head as he repeats their slogans.
As narrator, Guy speaks in his own voice, which is then modified along with how he holds himself to represent the various characters. The lighting will change at times, occasionally throwing monstrous shadows onto the back wall.
In the second half, we are reminded by voice-over clips of other leaders who have deceived us or have promised better times that never came. We hear Johnson, Sunak, May, Liz Truss and Thatcher.
And in case we are under the impression that it’s only Tory politicians that lie to us, we are reminded of a certain Labour politician by the news that the farm needs to deal with a neighbouring farm because it has “weapons of mass castration.”
Even if you are not drawn to political satire, it is an entertaining show by a very able performer that is fun to watch.
(British Theatre Guide - Keith Mckenna- 25/01/24)
ADELAIDE FRINGE 2013:
ADELAIDE THEATRE GUIDE 25/02/13
"What an amazing storyteller! I have been familiar with the works of George Orwell since my days at school and Animal Farm was always a favourite. The political satire has lost none of its punch or relevance. Listening, and watching, Masterson's one-man retelling was like being introduced to this story for the first time!
On a bare stage with only a bale of hay as setting, the tale comes alive. Each character with its own voice and movement becomes immediately recognizable. We feel for each of the loved characters and cringe as the mirror is put to our humanity. The background sounds and effects add depth, but it is the man himself who commands your attention and works to deliver a standout performance that makes you feel you would be poorer had you missed it." (Adelaide Theatre Guide - Fran Edwards - 25/02/13)
ADELAIDE ARTS HUB 25/02/13
"UK performer Guy Masterson is a staple of the Adelaide Fringe and Animal Farm is a staple of Guy Masterson's solo-performance catalogue - alongside his astonishing one-man Under Milk Wood.
Seventeen years ago, Masterson adapted the play - from George Orwell's classic novel; an allegory for the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist Era - and it, like the novel, is still a powerful piece.
Animal Farm tells the tale of the Manor Farm and the ignored and mistreated animals who, after being informed of a dream of revolution by Old Major, are moved to revolt. Over time, under the rule of Napoleon, the Berkshire Boar, the ideals of the revolution come to naught, returning the farm to a state of oppression.
On a stage, bare except for a bale of hay, we are introduced to the "cast" of Animal Farm - all individually portrayed in vocal and physical detail. From the thundering power of Boxer the Clydesdale, to the more genteel Clover and the prancing mare, Molly - she with the 'red ribbons in her mane'. Then there are the ruling pigs: stout, firm and oppressive Napoleon and the sly, manipulative - and aptly named - Squealer. There's also, initially, the fair-handed pig, Snowball, who is ousted and whose memory is corrupted - much like the 'Seven Commandments of Animalism'.
A highlight - one of many - is the loopy portrayal of the sheep. With crossed-eyes, flapping hands and a lolling tongue, Masterson portrays these moronic followers as the namesake for mindless servitude.
Central to the extension of this one-man piece into a theatre-filling experience is the lighting. The stage lights vary from tight spots to full stage, blindingly bright to dark and dim, from hot summer sun to freezing winter depths - and a lighting finale that has to be seen to be believed.
The soundtrack, too, is pivotal - from the moment you enter the theatre to the sounds of Pink Floyd's Animals, to the collective animal sounds that enhance the stable's environs and the none-to-subtle collection of modern political extracts. This soundscape flows from the speakers and washes over the audience - signifying the myriad animals and the atrocities of martial law.
Masterson gives his all - and it shows in the sweat-soaked coveralls he wears - as he moves, seamlessly, from character to character and creates a world populated with politically-motivated, driven and downtrodden animals of all shapes and sizes, great and small. Originally conceived as a two-act play, it has been condensed into 95-minutes - which fly like the old raven, Moses.
Whether you know the novel (or not), are a lover of Russian History or the political sciences (again, or not), or enjoy quality theatre at its best, don't miss Animal Farm!" (Glen Christie - Adelaide Arts Hub - 25/02/13)
FRINGEREVIEW 24/02/13
"Guy Masterson re-enacts George Orwell's satire on Communism with panache and brings vigour and a distinctive feel to each character. His performance is remarkable in this part narrative, part enactment show and he has a hold on the audience from start to finish.
The set is a bale of hay, but the simplicity juxtaposes the dramatic and violent story that unfolds. Old Major's dream of an animal utopia where all animals are equal and live out the course of their lives as nature intended fuels the rebellion against humans led by the pigs, Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer. Masterson is faithful to the novel and enacts each scene shifting dexterously between characters, adopting their distinct characteristics and mannerisms. For two hours he is a bundle of energy and intrigue playing out the story.
After the successful rebellion against Farmer Jones and the other humans on Manor Farm 'Animalism' is established and the seven doctrines adapted from Old Major's opening speech. All of the animals are happy and work together under the leadership of the pigs. However this Golden Era does not last long when boorish Napoleon overthrows Snowball's rule and the circle of tyranny continues as the pigs increasingly resemble humans.
In true Masterson style his performance and talent fires the audience's imaginations to set the scene and accompany him on a journey to the murky depths of human nature. With a few sound and light effects the mood is conveyed and ambiance established, but all eyes are on Masterson as he shuffles, leaps, squeals and grunts on stage.
Masterson is unafraid to tackle the complex issues of society and politics through his interpretation of classic, well-known pieces of literature. Animal Farm is no exception and has resulted in sell-out shows at this year's Adelaide Fringe Festival." (Prerna Ashok - FringeReview.com Adelaide 24/02/13)
THE HECKLER - ADELAIDE 25/02/13
"I'll admit that I was entirely dubious about a one-man show of a story entirely about animals - the logistics just seemed too complicated to be a success, but Guy Masterson's solo take on Orwell's classic Animal Farm quelled those doubts within minutes.
Masterson is an incredibly talented performer. Through the use of clever and simple changes in his body language, such as a closed fist indicating a pig's hoof, he was not only able to suggest successfully to the audience a wide range of different animals present, but also give each of them depth of character. Each pig, while clearly a pig, was also able to be an individual - it was never difficult for the audience to tell characters apart, which, in a one-man show is a total triumph, especially without the assistance of any costuming. Often, Masterson also adopted the role of a narrator, which added a level of humour to the play and allowed him to connect more easily with his audience. The narrator's dialogue often evoked dramatic irony, Masterson sharing something with the audience that the animal characters did not yet understand.
He also manages to connect the ideas and themes of Animal Farm to present day, through brilliant use of sound clips and references from the narrator. These subtle references made the story much more relevant to the audience without having to transplant the entire story to present day.
Animal Farm is simply astonishing and will leave the audience thoughtful, as well as in awe of Masterson-s constant energy and brilliance as a performer. Masterson brings this classic tale back to life and reminds us that, unfortunately, its messages of an overpowering government are possibly even more relevant today." (The Heckler - Adelaide - 25/02/13)
RIP IT UP ADELAIDE 25/02/13
"Guy Masterson! There is a lot in a name. In this 90-minute tour de force he plays every character, all of them materialising within minutes of the opening dialogue. A horse, a pig, a sheep, a bird, a plane, it's actually, there are no planes; but he is superman.
This is no simple re-telling of the Orwell classic tale of despotism. This adaptation is firmly rooted in our time, where a social democracy is hollowed out and corrupted by a secretive authoritarian kleptocratic capitalism that, step by step, distorts and inverts all the principles its contributive believers hold dear.
Masterson commandingly owns the vast stage as he portrays the various characters in all their affecting, endearing complexities; their hopes, desires, despair, empathy, animals all but, as the story goes, all so human. Relishing in his multiple roles, Masterson drew laughs aplenty as ironic humour abounds in this darkest of tales. Final Word: Compelling." (Ian Newton - Ripitup Magazine- 25/02/13)
AUSTRALIAN THEATRE ONLINE 25/02/13
"Masterful Storyteller, Guy Masterson's genius lies in his ability to simplify theatre. To make it accessible and enjoyable.
Who could imagine Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood as a solo show before Masterson? So after doing the impossible once, he opted to try again with George Orwell's Animal Farm. He achieved his goal.
The book, originally titled Animal Farm - A Fairy Story, was a savage attack on Joseph Stalin and his control of communism. It was such an effective allegorical tale set against the excesses of The Soviet Union, the C.I.A. paid for the film version in 1954, with a few of their own modifications to ensure a politically correct version was released to the public. That's become the version the public has come to know, but Orwell was a better writer than that and Masterson brings the tale back to it's original Orwellian truth. Animal Farm is a full frontal attack on the noxious art of political betrayal.
With the Soviet Union long gone a post-Cold War generation are able to see this production with fresh eyes and a more honest approach. The notions of Masterson's Animal Farm are easily related through our own time and place of Keynesian economics having been usurped with the mantras of Economic Rationalism.
Masterson's set couldn-t be more simple - a bale of hay centre stage. His costume is just as simple - a pair of blue overalls (soaked in sweat by the end of the performance). The lighting and sound effects are also simple. But what isn't simple is Masterson's interpretation. It-s engaging and dynamic for the full 95 minutes he's on stage. He brings out the humour of the piece and introduces minor updates to add to the relevance for a contemporary audience.
Masterson has a well-deserved history in Adelaide and his shows generally sell out. This was no exception. He has a tendency to personalise his shows, to draw an audience in with him, as if they're somehow in on the 'joke'. It's hard to imagine someone else being so effective in the same role. He is, in effect, a master storyteller and that's what makes his solo performances so endearing and why Adelaide audiences keep coming back for more." (Mick Searles - AT Aussie Theatre Online - 28/02/13)
UK TOUR 2013
BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE 31/01/13
Guy Masterson is a master craftsman of storytelling and for two compelling hours he captivated the Corn Exchange’s audience with his brilliant adaption of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. It is an absolute joy to watch Masterson’s physical skill, dexterity and sheer energy as he creates all the animal characters with superb aplomb.
Masterson has been touring Orwell’s allegoric fairy tale of inequality, power, privilege and revolution for the past 18 years. With over 2,000 performances in such diverse places as India, Hong Kong and the USA, this powerful story is as relevant today as it was when written in the 1940s as a candid expose of Stalin’s Soviet communism.
Indeed some of our present day politicians are lampooned with their hunger for power and political propaganda.
The plot follows the animal rebellion at Manor Farm where farmer Jones and the rest of the humans are driven out of the farm following his cruelty and exploitation of the animals.
Napoleon, the pig, is elected leader and so Animalism is born where, “all animals are equal” and any creature that that walks on two legs is bad. But Napoleon turns out to be a tyrannical dictator ensuring that the pigs get all the fruits of the farm and eventually starts trading with the humans, slowly changing the rules to favour the pigs.
He is assisted by Squealer who is his main supporter and propagandist and Boxer who is the hard-working horse whose mantra when things goes wrong is, “I must work harder.” Clover is his constant companion who becomes the matriarch to the other animals.
Masterson impressively creates the characters of the pretentious pony Mollie, who loves her red ribbons and eventually returns back to the humans, and the wise old donkey Benjamin, and then there are the chickens, the sheep, goats, cows and aggressive dogs, each effectively performed with a different voice and movement that is so convincing.
Eventually the principles of Animalism crumble as the pigs take on more human characteristics, walking on two feet, living in the farmhouse and ruling over the rest of the animals.
The clever use of sound effects and the striking lighting enhance this simply-staged production that only uses a box as a stage prop.
This is a powerful tour-de-force performance from an exceedingly accomplished actor that is utterly enthralling.
(British Theatre Guide - Robin Strapp - 31/01/13)
The British Invasion - Kansas City December 2012:
GUY MASTERSON BRINGS ANIMAL FARM TO FORMIDABLE LIFE IN SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Guy Masterson, as theatergoers who have attended the annual 'British Invasio'n know, is a visceral performer - aggressively physical, facially pliant and vocally versatile as he ranges from falsetto to bass.
He brings all those attributes to George Orwell's Animal Farm, which he has adapted as a two-act solo performance. Working with nothing more than a bale of hay at center stage and exactly two props, Masterson brings Orwell's political allegory to life with formidable performance skills.
Masterson's physical solidity suggests that he could carry a piano on his back without much strain, but he's light on his feet. Grace and delicacy are as important as strength and bulk in this performance.
George Orwell (nee Eric Blair) wrote his novella in the 1940s as an explicit criticism of Soviet communism and dictator Josef Stalin, who had betrayed Marxist ideals with his ruthless police state. The book suggests that any revolution will be corrupted because nobody and resist the intoxicating allure of power and privilege.
The Soviet Union passed into history, of course, but police states still seem to be a thriving industry in some parts of the world. Masterson's performance makes clear that Animal Farm still has plenty of relevance at a time when our political system appears irredeemably dysfunctional and many of our politicians have mastered Orwellian rhetoric.
The narrative depicts an animal rebellion on Manor Farm. The humans are pushed out and the animals take charge of their own affairs. All animals are equal, according to the new principles of Animalism, and any creature that walks on two legs is inherently bad. But the pigs teach themselves to read and become the new ruling class, eventually trading with humans at neighboring farms, rewriting the rebellion's history, imposing rigid rules on the other animals, enforcing politically correct thinking and hoarding the best food for themselves.
Masterson embodies - and clearly delineates - the various characters vividly: Napoleon, the ruling pig; Squealer, his chief propagandist; Boxer, the hard-working (but not very bright) draft horse; Benjamin, a donkey who views the machinations of pigs and humans with equal skepticism, and many others. The social tapestry is rich as Masterson portrays horses, cows, attack dogs, sheep, goats and the occasional human.
It's been a long time since I read Animal Farm but as near as I can tell virtually every word comes from Orwell's book, although Masterson allows himself the occasional ad lib. (At point he slips in a reference to the 'fiscal cliff'.)
Masterson takes his audience on a real emotional and intellectual journey. The show is by turns inspiring, exciting, frightening, mournful and poignant. But it also shows us that Animal Farm is an allegory worth revisiting and leaves us with couple of inevitable questions: Does human nature really change? At the end of the day, aren't we animals too?
The uncredited sound and lighting effects are vital to the success of the performance. The director of record is Tony Boncza. Masterson has performed Animal Farm for some 17 years, and he claims that this marks his retirement of the piece... but he's said that before, so we'll see! (It may be wishful thinking!) At his curtain call Saturday night he comically suggested that perhaps there's a 'young American actor willing to take this on'. I could certainly picture other performers doing this piece. But few could play it with the explosive vitality Masterson brings to the stage." (Robert Trussell - Kansas Citry Star - 15/12/12)
EDINBURGH 2010:
"Animal Farm, a novel written by George Orwell and first published in 1945, reflects the period of Russian history from the fall of the monarchy, through the rise of communism to the Stalin era. However, the book is also an allegory for the cyclical nature of politics and the damaging effects of bad leadership and ignorance of the masses. The latter meaning of the book is where Guy Masterson's production takes off; it is packed with contemporary references to British politics and makes links to dictators and regimes throughout history, while still calling back to communist Russia. The production not only stays true to Orwell's original masterpiece but genuinely (and sympathetically) adds to it allowing its relevance to blossom.
This was a one-off performance requested by Assembly to celebrate their 30th Anniversary, in itself an indication of the high regard in which Masterson is held. There was an audience ofover 500 and the excitement was tangible: the last ever (ever, ever) performance of this famous rendition of Animal Farm. The show has a long history, being premiered at the Traverse theatre in 1995 and subsequently toured all over the world. Yet, in principle, it seems to have changed very little in that time; the stage is empty bar three hay bails in the centre and the performance takes the form of Mastserson hosting and narrating, acting and enacting, the entire book over two hours. Sounds like a recipe for disaster - one man, one book, two hours. However, as has been proven time and time again, this show is infinitely entertaining, utterly captivating and, in its own way, very poignant.
Masterson introduces the main characters at the beginning: Boxer, the hard-working, loyal horse who ultimately gets bitten by the system he has spent his life supporting; his companion Clover; Napoleon the cruel dictator (who is a pig of course) and his cronies and rivals, Snowball and Squealer. Each character has a unique voice and physicality which masterfully represents not only their animal qualities, but their human ones too. For example, to portray Clover, Masterson bends over, bows his head and shifts from foot to foot, just like Boxer. However, his in-turned knees and out-turned hands manage to betray the humble, bashful and gentle side to Clover's character.
Over the course of the two hours Masterson commands the stage. He leaps, rolls, cartwheels, barks, grunts and bleats whilst effortlessly leading the audience along through the narrative and clearly presenting the underlying messages. The sounds effects are made by Masterson's voice; to create the sound of group mutiny different snippets of his noises are played simultaneously creating a chaotic, rather creepy effect. The lighting design is equally effective, ranging from yellow and whitish general spreads to an intense red front light creating an iconic and propagandistic shadow of Masterson on the back wall. The technical elements were the only short fall of the show as there were several missed or incorrect sound and lighting queues. However, the nature of the performance allowed Masterson to easily progress from pig-dictator, to narrator, to actor, and the audience were all the more supportive and impressed for it. The show ends with a powerful image; Napoleon atop the hay bail, standing on two legs, with a grimace so hideous and pig-like as to send a collective shiver down the spine of the audience.
This was an excellent show, a true tour de force. Although it is a comic performance, Masterson leaves us with his interpretation of Orwell's message which is anything but: keep vigilant, stay engaged, be smart because, if not, corruption and oppression will rear their ugly heads and get the better of us all." (Phoebe Ladenburg - FringeReview - 17th August 2010)
FROM ADELAIDE 2009:
"Guy Masterson's Animal Farm is an incredibly energetic and frightening theatrical experience.
According to its author, George Orwell, Animal Farm is a proclaimed 'fairy story'. As with most fairy stories, the allegorical points hold the greater weight. This story concerns the animals' desire for liberty from the constraints of the farm and human intrusion, which gives rise to their ideology of 'Animalism', and ultimate revolution. Animal Farm is eternally modern and thought-provoking, providing parallels to the manipulations of contemporary human power, and the figurative blindness of society's inhabitants.
With a bale of hay as the only set-piece, Guy Masterson's performance is remarkable. Not only does he play the narrator, but the entirety of main characters (both animal and human). His performance is at times poignant and humorous, which really needs to be seen to be believed.
Tony Boncza's direction includes lighting that captures the feel of the piece, particularly when large malevolent shadows of characters are cast toward the back of the stage. The effect powerfully reflects the disturbing disposition of one having excessive power, or their illusion of it.
Animal Farm also contains fine use of sound effects. The animal noises were actually produced and mastered by Guy Masterson and director Tony Boncza, adding a great deal of atmosphere to the performance. If you haven't yet read Orwell's novel you could hardly wish for a more vibrant introduction!" (Anthony Grzyb - Adelaide Theatre Guide)
"Guy Masterson skips on to stage barefoot and clad in blue overalls to present his one man adaptation of George Orwell's 1945 classic novel, directed by Tony Boncza. It's bareboards theatre with the only prop a single bale of hay at centre stage. And Masterson certainly fills every inch of the space with his enactment of animal body language. He is at times pig, horse, chicken, cow, bull, sheep donkey, goat and raven. He kicks an invisible shed door open, leaps about the stage in the joy of animal victory, gazes in awe at the luxury of Farmer Jones's house and raises a trotter in triumph and solidarity. He squeezes laughs from the audience as Squealer the pig and amazement as the cartwheeling Boxer and later pathos as the loyal and hardworking old horse grinds to his inevitable and tragic demise.
This is indeed an impressive one-man tour de force. Masterson amuses with the interplay between controlling pigs Snowball and Napoleon and then moves the audience as the ascendency of Napoleon becomes more and more sinister; he harangues his subjects from his hay bale vantage with 'death to all traitors', covered in red wash lighting during the execution scene.
But Masterson also tells the story and tells it well. He is narrator as well as actor, switching roles seamlessly through the two hours. Included are many sound effect snips of modern leaders from Margaret Thatcher through Tony Blair to John Howard. The program notes warn that the book was not just about Joseph Stalin but about any modern state and the 'double speak and propaganda, the lies, threats, coercion, corruption and oppression, the spin and the sleaze, as its leaders fight to perpetuate themselves against the interests of those who they are supposed to serve.' Masterson ended the night drenched in sweat and drowning in applause." (Robert Horne - Adelaide Independent Weekly - 17 March 2009)
"George Orwell's 1945 novel Animal Farm has been filmed before (twice) but doesn't immediately seem surefire theatrical material, yet Guy Masterson (also in town in Oleanna) didn't let that get to him when first working on this one-man, one-night-only performance in 1994. A genuinely brave tour-de-force wherein Masterson plays every character (on a farm where rebellion satirically mirrors the scariest aspects of human society and history) via careful bodily movement and contortion with striking vocal characterisation - from Napoleon the domineering pig to Boxer the hardworking horse to the unnamed, apolitical puss - this is always engrossing, daring and hugely entertaining, with Guy's smooth, unpretentiously subtle style a true joy to behold. At two hours plus (with an interval) it might have seemed a daunting prospect to some members of the sell-out crowd prior to the show - but this proved one of the true highlights of the entire Fringe, and certainly one of the most extraordinary theatrical performances this reviewer has ever seen." (Mad Dog Bradley - Rip It up Adelaide - 18/03/09)
"Guy Masterson, unhampered by the fact that he has only two legs, presented his one man interpretation of George Orwell's classic political satire, set in that most famous of all farmyards. Masterson's script focuses strongly on the characters and situations, concentrating attention on the essentials. His tightly written script reflects his approach to theatre, as does his minimal set, props and costuming, a hallmark of his work. A hay bale, terrific sound effects and intricately devised lighting assist Masterson in his telling of this powerful piece, but it is his outstanding talent that brings these most unusual characters to life. Each participant in the tale is brilliantly depicted as Masterson changes his voice, face and demeanour, instantly and dramatically, as he switches from one character to another. Masterson's passing references to a few more recent egomaniacal dictators, sorry, Prime Ministers, British and Australian, highlights the ongoing relevance of this work. Sensational!" (Barry Lenny - The Fix - 18/03/08)
Reviews from 1995-1999
ARTS THEATRE WEST END APRIL 1997
"ONE OF THE GREATEST SOLO SHOWS OF ALL TIME!" (The Times 16/04/97)
EDINBURGH 1995
"Guy Masterson's totally committed rendition of George Orwell's Animal Farm is as essential a warning today as it was fifty years ago. Masterson oes one helluva job in physically telling this story of betrayal and honour, from the initial hope and glory days of the animal's rebellion, tothe deterioration toward compromise and corruption. This incredible feat of storytelling is intercut with the odd contemporary political speech. Such juxtaposition gives the moral fable the immediacy of an urgent warning. The physical exertion of this one-man tour de force leaves Masterson dripping with sweat. Orwell's book is perhaps more correct now in its outlook than it was at the time... It's all come to pass exactly as it shows... But it could never happen here, could it? The full houses for this show confirm that this is the right artiste, doing the right piece, at just the right time. " (The List - August 1995)
"ANIMAL MAGIC! ... Masterson ignites this famous tale bringing both humour and a sinister aspect to the rhetoric of the upwardly mobile pigs." (The Herald 26/01/95)
"The emotional texture of the book is sensitively recreated and the charm and allure of Masterson's performance makes the allegory more disturbing." (The Independent 14/08/95)
"Some actors are more equal than others, but few are quite as equal as Guy Masterson!" (The Times 16/08/95)
"A brilliant adaptation which delights with its physical grace and artistry. It's complex and entirely theatrical; a combination of bravura acting and poetic storytelling which milks new nuance and meaning. A prodigious talent!" (The Scotsman 13/08/95)
This is Jackanory for adults!... A real treat! Masterson creates an entire environment in which his audience are as much participants as spectators... Terribly clever and terribly amusing." (BBC Radio Derbyshire, January 1997)
TOUR OF INDIA 1996
"Armed with nothing more than universally recognised theatrics and minimalist props - a small wooden box, a whip and a bowler hat - Masterson adroitly squeezes out the black humour and the sinister characters of the upwardly mobile porcine platoon in his unique rendition of George Orwell's Animal Farm. With impeccable timing and laryngeal dexterity, he virtually melts from character to character." (Business Standard, Delhi, India September 1996)
"Brilliant he was, all through the 100 minute solo performance of Orwell's satire, the fourth adaptation ever sanctioned by the Orwell estate. Sad yet funny, inspiring and thought-provoking, if only tragically so, Guy's performance enthralled and amazed ... the adaptation retained the simplicity of a fairy tale and the poignancy of a masterpiece. The consummate ease with which he held the audience spellbound, single-handedly, speaks volumes for his talent." (The Pioneer, Delhi, India September 1996)
"The Jaipur audience, spellbound by the gestures and rhetoric of the master-actor, could react in just one word, "unbelievable"... retaining the original delicate impact the nuances and the satire of the literary masterpiece could not have been communicated to the audience in a better way." (Times of India, Jaipur, India September 1996)
"The stage was bare except for a weathered old wooden box, a couple of hats and a mug of mineral water. Then Masterson walked on, took the stage - and the audience did not let go of either for the next two hours. It was a brilliant performance in storytelling. One is not sure what he cast over his audience but with the performer's charismatic narration and sheer energy, one can sense the thundering hooves of an entire herd. The close-shaved head and bare feet in a neutral grey jump-suit handsomely aided the transition from two legs to four!" (The Hindu, Madras, India October 1996)
"Is he an extraterrestrial a man from another planet? ... Masterson with the help of director Tony Boncza has adapted Orwell's classic into a triumphant tour-de-force for his own skills as a solo performer who takes on the entire menagerie of animals - as well as the reactionary farmers and not least the narrator - to drum the message of Animal Farm for a late '90s audience. The interest lies in the actor's ability to communicate ... and the powerful sound and lighting effects." (Indian Express, Madras, India October 1996)
SALONIKA FESTIVAL 1996
"With remarkable dexterity and the plasticity of his body and voice, the rhythm of his speech, but above all with the projection of a quality which distinguishes one animal from the other, we witnessed the power of a male horse, the coquetry of a goat, the wisdom of a donkey, the laziness of a cat. Audiences and critics were fascinated and the performances ended with ten minutes of applause." (Exostis journal, Thessaloniki, Greece April 1996)
"In front of an astonished audience, the British solo performer, Guy Masterson, unfolded Orwell's famous text giving life to the overwhelming figures, at times comical and at others menacing. Using excellent vocal and physical variations the transformation from one character to the next was unbelievably incredible... With a deliberately minimal set Masterson's technique shines in all its terrible power, elevating him to a real master of acting." (Kouinta Journal, Thessaloniki, Greece April 1996)
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ANIMAL FARM - (WITH GUY MASTERSON)
(IMAGE CREDITS: VARIOUS)
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To Download:
FOR INTERNET EXPLORER USERS:
Right clik on image and select
"Save Target As:"
Download to chosen destination
FOR CHOME & MOZILLA USERS:
Right click on image and select
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FOR SAFARI USERS:
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"Download Linked File:"
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All images are of high enough resolutio
for publication at normal sizes.
Any problems downloading, please call
the office +44 (0)7979 757490 |
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ANIMAL FARM - WITH SAM BLYTHE
(IMAGE CREDIT:NUX PHOTOGRAPHY) |
To Download:
FOR INTERNET EXPLORER USERS:
Right clik on image and select
"Save Target As:"
Download to chosen destination
FOR CHOME & MOZILLA USERS:
Right click on image and select
"Save Link As:"
Download to chosen destination
FOR SAFARI USERS:
Right click on image and select
"Download Linked File:"
Download to chosen destination
All images are of high enough resolutio
for publication at normal sizes.
Any problems downloading, please call
the office +44 (0)7979 757490
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Click on image
to download tek specs |
ANIMAL FARM can play theatres ranging from 100 capacity to 1500.
A full amplification system and Fully programmable LX Board is required.
In all theatres, sound and lights will require ONE experienced operator - unless sound and lighting positions are not together.
Operation involves SELF CUEING PRE-PROGRAMMED LX CUES, Q-LAB SFX CUES FROM A CLEAR SCRIPT
To View or Download Technical Specifications click here
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| LX |
A: Centre Spot Special (Steel Blue Lee 117)
B: Warm Wash (Middle Wash) (Chocolate (Lee 156)
C: HOT WASH (Full Wash) Straw Lee103)
D: FULL WASH Mix of C at 50% and E at Full
E: FULL COLD WASH (Steel Blue Lee 117)
F1: Open White Birdie Floor light Or small fresnel
F2: RED Birdie Floor light (Red Lee 106) Or small fresnel
G: Near Vertical Special (White)
Audience Blinders - 4 ParCans from rear of stage facing the audience |
| SFX |
Qlab File provided Approx 100 cues.
Good Amplification and Speakers with fold-back. |
| Script |
Provided by artist on the day - to be operated by one highly competent in-house operator BUT TWO iF sound and lights cannot be operated from same position.
Operation involves self cueing from script, SFX on Qlab, LX on programmed board and Mic On/Off and changing effects.
SCRIPT CAN BE PROVIDED UPON REQUEST |
| Duration |
FULL SHOW runs 105 minutes plus an interval (55 & 50)
OR 75 mins straight through for SCHOOLS SHOW without an interval
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| Artist |
Artiste generally travels with scripts,
If travelling by car, he will also bring chair. If travelling by ticketed transport, please provide chair (image below). |
| Stage |
Suitable for auditoria ranging from the intimate (100 seats) to the large (1500 seats) A wooden box the size of a haybale will be brought by Artiste. Clean black flooring, tabs & backdrop are required. If the floor is very scuffed, please repaint or lay dance floor.
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| Space Required |
The show requires only a bare, clean, open stage wth clean black tabs.
Minimum playing area is 4 meters wide by 3 meters deep. This is compact. Larger is preferable. |
| Set up & Rehearsal |
After PreHang - approximately 3 hours depending on the size of the space. |
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